The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

It's been a memorable 2025 for Kiwi country star Kaylee Bell, and she's got even more to look forward to.

She's played a music festival, she's done a collab with the Wiggles - and she welcomed her first child earlier in the year.

Bell says it's been 'awesome' seeing country music surge in New Zealand - and hearing her hits resound with Kiwi fans ahead of the Aotearoa Music Awards.

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. This is the story of Hai, a Vietnamese immigrant to America where he lives in the town of East Gladness, Connecticut where, at the most difficult moment of his life he’s befriended by Grazina, an 82 year old Lithuanian widow. They become each other’s support person, an unlikely pairing but each of them living lives so far away from the promised American Dream. It’s a masterly portrait of life...

Disney's latest theme park destination will be in the United Arab Emirates, on a relatively new tourist island already packed with amusement parks, a golf course, indoor skydiving and a stadium. 

Construction on the project hasn't started as of yet - and industry reports indicate it could take at least six years before the park opens to Disney fans.

BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says the project will be an indoor p...

This week on the Sunday Panel, managing director of 818, Chris Henry, and director at Capital, Ben Thomas, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

Eurovision 2025 took place today - what do we make of this year's entries? Do we get it? Do we think Austria deserved to win?

It's been an interesting week in politics, with political reporter Thomas Coughlan bringing up the 'excessive amount of pig-he...

One wellness expert has opened up about the physical and mental benefits of getting your hands dirty.

Studies have shown that the amount of physical contact with the soil affects the diversity of your gut microbiome and health. 

Touching dirt, especially for extended periods like gardening or playing outdoors, can positively impact your microbiome by increasing the diversity and richness of beneficial bacteria on your skin and...

What do you get when a group of podiatrists team up with a Barbie doll collector? A research paper published in the journal PLOS ONE that looks into 65 years of Barbie history. 

The idea started when one of the authors was watching the 2023 Barbie movie. In it, there was a scene when Barbie steps out of her high heels and her feet flatten for the first time. For those of us who grew up with Barbie, we know that her feet used t...

Palak paneer curry 

Cook time: 10 minutes 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Serves: 6 

1kg spinach paste  

500gm paneer  

1 onion diced finely  

2 tbsp sunflower oil  

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed  

1 tsp finely grated ginger  

2 finely diced tomatoes (or ½ can chopped tomatoes)  

1 tbsp cumin seeds  

½ cup cream or coconut cream for dairy free  

1 ½ tsp garam m...

If you've been to Auckland's Aotea Square recently, you may have noticed the large shipping containers that recently appeared.

They're part of Darkfield, an immersive audio experience that has travelled the world, including to major international festivals like the Venice Film Festival, BFI London, Tribeca and SXSW.

The containers are pitch-black and visitors step inside either the Victorian seance room or the replica economy class...

Auckland FC is brimming with confidence after winning the first leg of their A-League semi-final 1-nil over the Victory 1-nil in Melbourne.

Despite being out of action for a fortnight, the Kiwi side managed to surge ahead - and they're in a good position as they gear up for next weekend's return leg at Mt Smart.

Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker says it was a 'tense game' - but the side managed to absorb the pressure.

"To come away with ...

This month marks 25 years of celebrating Kiwi musicians and the music industry as part of New Zealand Music Month.

A big part of the month includes New Zealand Music T-Shirt Day - a day not just about supporting your favourite Kiwi band but highlighting the work of ch...

One expert has labelled this week in politics an 'absolute shambles' amid a series of controversial events.

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden made headlines after dropping the c-bomb in Parliament after critiquing an opinion piece by journalist Andrea Vance that strongly criticised her pay equity changes in the House.

NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan unpacked the controversies.

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Andrew Little has revealed he's got his eyes on Wellington's future as he outlines plans as a mayoral candidate.

The former Labour leader officially launched his campaign for the mayoralty in the capital yesterday. 

He's vowing to implement a more transparent, democracy-focused system of decision-making at the council if elected in October.

Little says people feel 'disconnected' - and he's hoping to restore faith in the counci...

They don’t make them like Tom Cruise anymore.  

As the nature of stardom has changed over the last few decades the idea of the classic movie star has slowly diminished. But the latest and final Mission Impossible film, The Final Reckoning, makes it clear Tom is top of the list of good old-fashioned movie stars still out there. 

There are several reasons movie stars and stardom aren’t what they once were. The rise of the p...

Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time has been regarded as one of the of successful books of 2024 - and it's got quite a history attached to it.

The book was initially written as a fanfiction project intended for a small group of friends over the Covid-19 lockdowns, but it went on to become an instant hit.

Ahead of her appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival, Bradley opened up about her creative process - and the journey that ...

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey. Set in England in 1979, identical 13 year old triplets are part of a Government scheme where they’re constantly monitored and medicated. They’re overseen by Mothers Morning, Afternoon and Night who teach them from the Book of Knowledge, keep records in the Book of Dreams, and write up their misdemeanours in The Book of Guilt. There’s a slow, insidious creep to the narrative and when the Minis...

Tens of thousands of travellers have descended on the city of Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis and the election of a new pontiff. 

The region's had its' share of time in the spotlight over the last couple of weeks - but BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton says there's plenty to explore and experience no matter what.

She outlined her tips and recommendations here.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, ZB Wellington mornings host Nick Mills and broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton joined in on a discussion about the following issues...

With all the discussion around the importance of work-life balance going on, there's been additional questions raised about what that looks like for women.

Many women are navigating the dual pressures of career advancement and family responsibilities, which creates a...